Clutch - deep rear sprockets

[HxPaul]

Just out of interest, if you fitted an extra steel onto the pressure plate before fitting the rest of the plates, does it lower the pressure plate and still allow clearance when compressed?

Cheers for replying but I haven't m8
steel on steel is a no-no in the clutch I thinks tho ?
Ru thinking to fill it out?
The Taffspeed springs I have compress to 16mm

Fitting a steel plate first wont do any damage,the steel plates fit in the slots in the clutch spider and cant spin against each other.

[Norrie Bodge]

One issue that I found with the early ScootRS spiders that I bought (3 of!) was that the recesses for the bottom of the springs was not machined in the correct alignment for the springs to sit/stand straight when assembled. What I mean by that is the ScootRS spider had the recesses at a different distance from the centre of spider to centre of recesses, which meant that the bottom of the spring was on one alignment and the top of the spring was on another, causing the spring to sit in a 'Z' shape and try to bow when the clutch was compressed. This was fine in a number of mild tune bikes with 5-plate assemblies, however, it soon proved to be an issue with higher power motors.

A couple of key things that I must point out is that the spring alignment was out when used with a selection of original factory pressure plates (Innocenti, Spanish and SIL), and also an MB pressure plate, however, I have never tried a ScootRS pressure plate, which may also have the spring recesses at the same centres as their spider, in which case it would work perfectly well. What this did show was that buy buying different clutch components from different supplies can introduce unforeseen problems. As such, buying a ScootRS pressure plate may well have rectified the issue with the spider, however, I was not in the mood to buy additional (not cheap) parts to find that it was simply continuing to shell out for individual components that didn't align correctly when assembled.

NB: This isn't to have a go at ScootRS, this is more a lesson about buying parts from different sources, and I could just as easily say the same about other expensive clutch components that I've bought in the UK that have also had machining errors that introduced other issues.

IMO you should buy a complete clutch from one supplier so that you can go back to them if you have issue, rather than buying different components in different places and trying to then point the finger at any one supplier.

Adam

Great post Adam thanks
With both pressure plate & spider bought together & from the same supplier ?
I'd have thought they shoulda been compatable to each other m8 ?
As a couple azzz it where?

Cheers

[Norrie Bodge]

Just out of interest, if you fitted an extra steel onto the pressure plate before fitting the rest of the plates, does it lower the pressure plate and still allow clearance when compressed?

Cheers for replying but I haven't m8
steel on steel is a no-no in the clutch I thinks tho ?
Ru thinking to fill it out?
The Taffspeed springs I have compress to 16mm

Fitting a steel plate first wont do any damage,the steel plates fit in the slots in the clutch spider and cant spin against each other.

Right I see m8.
I'll give this a try over the weekend & reply back
Cheers

[Wack]

Just a thought to see if the pressure plate sits lower when finally assembled. If it works you could always tack weld it although it may warp?

[HxPaul]

I just found this picture of the spider, taken from the ScootRS website. http://scootrs.com/category.cfm?category=7



It looks like the total height of the new spider is the same as the original Innocenti item, so this should not be an issue. Shortly, I will have one of my own, so I can take some measurements to confirm this.

Martin

Using the Atomic spider will trap the clutch sprocket and bush / bearings because the bearing surface is shorter than the original.Maybe Atomic make a clutch sprocket and bush to compliment their spider.

[Adam_Winstone]

Personally, I would always fit a deeper basket as my first way of increasing space for additional clutch plate separation, rather than making the assembly taller, as all it will do is move the assembly closer to the side casing and give issues with kickstart shaft rubbing on side plate and reduce adjustment potential on brass bush or nipple. However, going for a taller pressure plate (actually compressing deeper into the basket/crownwheel) is beneficial if the springs do not go coilbound too early and if deeper crownwheel allows. Taller spiders will always allow the top steel to sit further out, then possibly rubbing as described above or allowing the top cork plate ears/tangs to ride over the top of the crownwheel, which is why many of the 5/6 plate assemblies have the ears of the top cork bent downwards (Cambridge Lambretta clutch is a good example of this top cork ear bending, also bending the bottom steel ears up if you run it with a standard spider, rather than billet machined).

The original Lambro 5-plate clutch conversion worked with standard components but needed the early deeper 2-piece crownwheel to allow sufficient separation depth for the plates and supports the idea that you should have started by looking to go deeper, rather than using the standard crownwheel and coming out further/taller.

Good luck with resolving the issue.

Adam

[Norrie Bodge]

I suspect you'll need to,carefully check the spider - sprocket I have an atomic spider and centre plate and checked it with several combinations of sprocket. ScootRS sprocket was OK, but with an MB sprocket the spider was lower than the sprocket.

thanks for reply ross
did you manage to get the Atomic pressure plate & Atomic spider como working m8? & if so what did you do??
cheers

[dscscotty]

Buy a Cassette clutch! or fetch it round and i'll sort it for you, ran these for years before many of today's modern clutches were available, for a few years it was all we had. A certain well known furry GP has one fitted and has done many 1000's of miles.

[Norrie Bodge]

Buy a Cassette clutch! or fetch it round and i'll sort it for you, ran these for years before many of today's modern clutches were available, for a few years it was all we had. A certain well known furry GP has one fitted and has done many 1000's of miles.

ill be in touch throu the week then Daz
cheers

ps... no sheckells left for cassette clutches m8